hybrid-working-model

In October 2020, Dropbox unveiled its virtual-first policy, which prioritises remote work over the office. Dropbox are not the only high-profile organisation to opt for a remote-driven approach to work. But their rationale for doing so is unique, explicitly citing the drawbacks of the increasingly popular hybrid working model. Melanie Collins, the group’s Chief People Officer, listed “inclusion, promotion, career growth, cliques and different norms within different teams” as potential risks with the hybrid approach.

So, with almost all of the UK’s 50 biggest employers committing to a mix of home and office working, perhaps it’s time to pause and think: should hybrid working really be the new normal? In this series, we’re exploring the unforeseen difficulties that arise when the hybrid model is put into practice. Can employees really ‘work from anywhere’? Does the rise of a more ‘global workforce’ resolve or exacerbate the skills gap? Can you still be ‘one organisation’ with two categories of employees, one WFH and one WFO?

There is no doubt that with challenge comes opportunity; the companies that can get hybrid working right have a lot to gain. However, recognising the challenge in the transition from theory to reality is a good place to start.

Commitment vs. conviction

There is a disconnect between the theory of hybrid working and its implementation. Only 32% of executives have a detailed vision and plan in place for hybrid work, despite nine out of ten being committed to the model. This uncertainty is making employees anxious. A recent survey cited the chief source of employee anxiety as ‘uncertainty regarding employers plans for post- COVID-19 working arrangements’.

Employers can’t just throw around the ‘hybrid working’ buzz-phrase. They need to communicate with their employees, identify the challenges, and lay out a clear plan of action. These unknowns highlight one thing: our hybrid remote working future is more uncertain than we realise. 

We can work remote, why not hybrid?

With companies across the globe successfully navigating the transition to remote working during the pandemic, the hybrid model might appear straightforward. We know that we can work both in a fully remote environment and in the office. Surely this means that we can operate in a hybrid environment?

What is becoming increasingly evident is that this third option is not so simple. New complexities arise when we try to blend remote and physical worlds, and when the term ‘remote’ evolves to mean ‘work from anywhere’ as opposed to just work from home. Navigating these unforeseen difficulties is the next challenge on organisations’ plate. Businesses must test the viability of the hybrid model and their ability to uphold their commitments to a flexible working future.

Back to basics

As we’ve seen with remote working, companies will face fundamental roadblocks to successfully implementing a hybrid model. This is particularly acute in developing and emerging economies; public infrastructure is poor, creating internet connectivity and power challenges that limit the basic feasibility of an out-of-office model. We have experienced this first-hand working with our clients across Africa where structured power outages are a daily occurrence – a disruption made worse by the high cost of network data which means that mobile access is often not a viable alternative. While this creates immediate problems for business continuity and risk management, it also means there are much harder hurdles to clear before hybrid working can become the promised standard. 

Roadblocks to successfully implementing a hybrid model are particularly acute in developing and emerging economies; public infrastructure is poor, creating internet connectivity and power challenges that limit the basic feasibility of an out-of-office model.

Companies are navigating solutions, such as the provision of mobile data SIM cards and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure technology. However, moving forward, companies need to focus on long-term, strategic solutions that both enable productive remote working and drive equal opportunity and consistent employee value proposition across the hybrid organisation. This is significantly harder to achieve than simply enabling remote working.

What’s next?

In the next article we will explore the practicalities of a distributed, global workforce. Is it a golden opportunity to access talent or a double-edged sword? After all, if employers can access talent globally, individuals can also work globally, creating new talent retention challenges. Navigating these unforeseen complexities, alongside the knock-on tax and payroll implications, will be front and centre for organisations implementing a hybrid approach.

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